The power of the written word---even if scrawled on a scrap of paper, can truly hug the heart of someone in need.

                                   KIND WORDS ON A SCRAP OF PAPER

My daughter Skylar had our little Eddie Jett in the waiting room at the hospital where he was to have several tests yesterday.  Most six year old's would get antsy, but Eddie Jett could absolutely not comprehend why in the world those four, boring, waiting room walls were containing his free spirit for so long. 

1p36-er's do a lot of waiting in hospitals, and it's virtually impossible to explain to them why they are there or what's about to happen, so needless to say it's most always a very stressful situation.

Poor Eddie Jett was having a major melt-down after an hour of waiting, and no amount of "book reading" could calm him.  He has an incredible memory, and Skylar kept having to pull him back away from the exit as he remembered the fountain in the lobby where he got to throw some pennies in for luck last week as he was leaving the hospital.  He was on a non-covert mission to make a break from the waiting room to chunk change in the cascading water, and each time he was denied he protested louder and louder.

Skylar was sweating bullets and felt like she was about to get voted off the island by the rest of the folks waiting patiently for their names to be called.  She finally resigned to letting Eddie make a run for it for a few minutes down the hallway.  As she headed for the door with her fearless, tiny leader a lady handed her a note very matter-of-factly, without even looking up from her magazine.

Sky sat on a bench outside the waiting room and read the note.  The woman had scrawled a note of inspiration and admiration on a scrap of paper from the cross word puzzel book she was working on.  Skylar had tears running down her face as she snapped back to the moment to retrieve Eddie who was trying to make a run for it on the elevator that he just summonsed by pushing the UP button---he LOVES elevator buttons.

The words that were written made Skylar's week.  They truly warmed her heart and gave her an extra muscle in the mama department that afternoon.  She gained strength from the simple words that the kind woman in the stuffy waiting room wrote down and handed her.

Never, ever underestimate the power of writing, saying, or doing something simple for someone in need.  It just might be what the Dr. ordered for the day, and heal their spirit.

                  Kind words written on a scrap of paper to a mama in need~ 

Mr. Eddie on the waiting room phone (that Skylar had to un-plug) trying to call a cab to come pick up from this non-sense!  He's a trooper, and his mama is amazing~

I was so proud to see one of my girlfriends that I graduated  from high school with, tried the recipe I shared for the chocolate zucchini cake!

Trina Moore, from Tulsa, sent me a pic of her chocolate delight.  She used cream cheese frosting on hers instead of chocolate.  It looks amazing, and she was as proud as I was that her husband and children didn't even taste the "good for you" zucchini squash in it!

Trina's chocolate zucchini cake with cream cheese icing~  I had to post this to my "Baker's Brag Book club!"

I took my husband to see, "The Rise of the Planet of the Apes" tonight. He was skeptical because, "he doesn't like to look at monkeys---especially their butts." He did enjoy it in the end though, (no pun intended) as there were no baboons in the making of the film.

It had amazing effects, and the story line/lesson was thought provoking and intense. We give it two non-opposable thumbs up!

My family loved the Neil Young inspired "cinnamon" zucchini cake so much, I decided to make Monty's favorite...chocolate (with zucchini, of course.)  I still have 4 or 5 beautiful zucchini squash in the fridge from before the squash bug plight.  This was an amazing way to incorporate them into a recipe!

Once again, this delicious chocolate cake has 2 heaping cups of grated zucchini in it.  Monty said he would have never known had I not told him. The grated zucchini just makes the cake moist and tender.

Shhhhh...this is a great recipe to sneak some veggies in for the kiddos.

Here it is:  And you don't even have to break out the mixer for this one!

Chocolate Zucchini Cake~

Ingredients--

1/2 c. oil (vegetable, canola or coconut oil)

1 1/2 cups sugar

2 tsp vanilla

1 egg

1/2 cup milk

2 heaping cups grated zucchini

2 c flour

1/2 c cocoa

1 1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp cinnamon

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Preheat oven to 350 degrees--

Mix oil,egg, sugar, vanilla, milk and zucchini in a large mixing bowl.  Add flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt.  Mix by spoon---batter will be fairly thick.

Spoon into well greased and floured 13x9 or two 9 inch round cake pans, and bake at 350 degrees for approx. 25 minutes.  

While cake is baking make this decadent recipe for home made chocolate frosting!

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Decadent Chocolate Frosting

2 3/4 c powder sugar

6 tblsp cocoa powder

6 tblsp softened butter

5 tblsp evaporated milk

1 tsp pure vanilla

Mix all ingredients by hand in mixing bowl. This makes a fudge-like frosting that is to die for!

Cool cake completely, frost and consume with less guilt than if it didn't have veggies in it~Enjoy!!!

                                                                                                                                                    

What child would balk at scarfing down this piece of chocolate cake?           Hide the zucchini first...                                       

Speaking of those lycopene rich lovelies, here is the best way that I've found to eat a garden fresh tomato.

This isn't exactly a "Rock-n-Recipe."  Let's just hum the old tune, "You Say "Tomato," I Say "Tomato" to this one.

First start with fresh garden tomatoes and a big pot of boiling water~

Next, place said tomatoes into the scalding water for 20-30 seconds until their skins begin to split a bit---everyone into the hot tub!

Then run them under cold water--the skins just slip right off.  Slice them and place in fridge until co-00ld.  Salt...pepper...devour! 

HAPPY SUMMER!

Well, despite my vigilance with the Dawn dish soap and vinegar spritzing of my squash plants, I believe the squadron of squash bugs may be winning the war.   But the good news is, I have a bumper crop of the most gorgeous tomatoes.

My dad is a farmer and I look back to the images of him plowing fields, combining, and coming home with Choska bottom soil ground into his blue jeans and work shirts.  I've always admired his passion for working the earth and producing crops, but struggling to fight off the plight of the squash bugs sure gives me a whole new respect for what he does on a grander scale!

Here's to farmer's tans and bumper crops of vine ripe tomatoes!!!  

My first sunflower of the season

The Coweta Farmer's/Street Market was great fun Saturday morning.

Skylar and I set a table up to promote SkyTan mobile tanning, and I bought two thorn-less blackberry bushes, three fried pies, (peach and apricot heaven in a crust) three glitter Thunder coozies, and a Superman pillow for Eddie Jett all for under $30.00.

The weather here in Oklahoma has been unseasonably cool, so it was a mild July morning---perfect weather to set up shop in the great outdoors, and peruse other folks wares.  

The Market will be the first Saturday of every month on Sycamore St. in downtown Coweta, from 7:30-12:00.  Come on down next month and pick up some treasures and prize tomatoes!

Forrest has a new mini-roadie.  Eddie Jett loves music!

I ran into a beautiful friend that moved several years ago.  Traci McDaniel was in town visiting.  She was Forrest vocal coach when he first began singing.  Traci has the voice of an angel, and is getting back into the music business soon---very talented lady.  We're so excited for her!